Creativity: A Productive Path to Identity

Have you ever wondered who you are or why you’re here? Join about 99.9% of the population. Where many of us go wrong is we wait. We wait until we have figured out who we are and what we are called to do before we do anything.

The Lord put things in each of us from our mother’s womb that would serve His purposes here on earth. Things only we could do in ways only we could do them.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. Psalm 139:13 NIV

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah 1:5 NIV

A few years ago I embarked on a scary, public journey to discovering who I was. I rented a small booth at an antique store and began to put all my ideas into form. I made my visions a reality, which had previously only been pictures in my head.

Initially, it was terrifying, not gonna lie. I even thought about bowing out before my second month’s rent was due. But I didn’t. The reason -- because I was sure that this was about more than selling my “crafts” at an antique store.

We don’t need to know the why so much as we need to know the Who. I knew the Lord was directing my path and teaching me about my identity. It wasn’t a prophetic vision or word, it was just a knowing, which was enough for me to see it through.

I managed to fight the fear and develop my art and gifts as the years at the antique store progressed. As my projects were selling and I was being promoted to larger and more desirable spaces I was learning who I was. These things, that honestly, I sometimes took out of the trash, were becoming things people wanted to buy. I was learning about what He was doing in me. I learned that as much as I loved taking discarded and broken things and making them beautiful, the Lord loved it even more and He was doing it in me. He was also giving me the heart to do it for others too. To look beyond who I saw before me and view them from His heart, perspective, and purpose.

If we wait until we have it all figured out to create something it might be too late, because it is in the discovery that art is made. What we create is a reflection of who we are.

“If I’d waited to know who I was or what I was about before I started “being creative,” well, I’d still be sitting around trying to figure myself out instead of making things. In my experience, it’s in the act of making things and doing our work that we figure out who we are.” Austin Kleon, Steal Like An Artist

We have put a lot of pressure on being “creative,” but it is not this ominous and unreachable thing. It is the result of our identity being made manifest in our everyday lives for the glory of God. So, take a leap of faith and create something today. You might find something you love to do and if not you will be one step closer to finding out who you really are.

Would you step out today and create something? Anything? Something that might lead you directly to who you are called to be? The world says it’s all about location, location, location, but the Lord is more interested in position, position, position. Position yourself to hear from Him and be used by Him, even if it means being creative.